Rotary valve for internal combustion engines



193%. J. BROWN ET AL ROTARY VALVE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Nov. 9, 1957 a Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 8.

Fig. 4.

Fig 7 10 1 2 Fig. 5.

Fi 6.@ 1o 13 Nmh 193$ .1. BROWN ET AL ROTARYVALV E FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Nov. 9, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. BROWN ET AL ROTARY VALVE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I Filed NOV. 9 1957 Patented Nov. 15, 1938 PATENT OFFICE 2,137,129 ROTARY VALVE FOR INTERNAL COMBUS- TION ENGINES John Brown 1 and Edward Brown, Wednesbury,

England Application November 9, 1937, Serial No. 173,684

In Great Britain November 11, 1936 6 Claims.

'10 sealing pad aforementioned.

Referring to the drawings: v Fig. 1 is a cross sectional elevationof .a cylin. der head of an internal combustion engine having a rotary valve mechanism constructed according 16 to this invention... 7

Fig. 2 is a section of the cylinder head on line II-II of Figure 1, the rotary valve being shown in full lines.

Fig. 3 is a section on line III ,III of Figure 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the sealing, pad.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the spring ring for bearingon the sealing'pad.

Fig. 6 is a perspective View. of the sealing ring...

Figs- 7 and .8' areresp ectively end views of the split ends of the sealing ring.

Fig. 9 is. a perspective view of the oiling pad,

and

Fig. 10 is a section through the cylinder. head with the rotary valve removed, the section being taken on line X-.X of Figure 3.

According to a convenient embodiment, the

invention is applied toa singlecylinder air cooled motorcycle engine. The detachable head I has a 3 which bears against .the bearing ring 4. slidably but non-rotatably mounted in the cylinder head.

I. An oil seal is formed by a metal ring 5 which is clamped between the bearing ring 4 and the cylinder head I at its outer periphery and spring pressed at its inner periphery against the shoulder 6 on the rotary valve. by a bevel gearing I and 8.

The detachable head I has a port having a conical seating 9 for receiving a sealing ring ID. The sealing ring I0 is formed of cast steel or other metal and has a conical outer circumference for bedding against a conical seating 9 around the port. The inside face of the ring curves inwardly from the flat seating I2 to the inner edge of the conical outer wall. The ring is split and stepped so that the split ends overlap. Preferably for this purpose an inclined face I3 is cut on one side of the ring from a point below the middle of the conical outer wall tothe flat seating of the valve by means of asbestos lining 2|.

The rotary valve is driven l2, while the other part has a similar inclined face M, the inclinedfaces sliding on one another as the split ring expands or contracts. A sealing element l 5 is interposed between the sealing ring l0 and the cylindrical surfaceof the rotary valve 2, the sealing element being let into a recess in the detachable head. or The sealing element has a port l6 therein which registers with the inlet and exhaust ports in the rotary valve as such valve rotates, and a surrounding surface I! which forms a sealing surface around the port. The sealing element is pressed against the Valve 2 by means of a spring 3 (Figure 5); The sealing ring [0, not. only expands radially under spring tension but also tends to slide up the conical seating 9 to press against the flat. outer surface of the elementl5.,'

' The exhaust port l9 in the valve is fitted with a pipe 20 which is heat insulated from the body The pipe 20 has a spout 22 to prevent formation of carbon. The exhaustport passes from one end of the. rotary valve whilst the inlet port ll passes from the other end.

During the firing stroke one side of the valve is subjected to considerable heat and this side has an oil cooling chamber 23 through which oil constant'ly circulates. A groove 24 is formed in the cylinder head around the periphery of the bearing ring 4. and this groove is in communication with a non-return valve spring ball controlled oil inlet 25. with an annular groove 26 in the internal surface of the bearing ring 4 by means of passages 21 and the groove 26. is placed in communication with the chamberf23 by means of the passages 28. The chamber 23 is divided by a central partition 29 and the passages 28 lead to one side of this partition. Outlet passages 30 lead from the chamber 23 on the other side of the partition 29 and such passages 30 lead to an annular groove 3| in the bearing ring 4. This groove 3| communicates by way of passages 32 with .a passage 34 returning the oil to the source of supply. The oil is thus continuously circulated through the cooling compartment 23 while the bearing ring 4 is also eiiiciently lubricated. i

In order to lubricate the cylindrical wall of the rotary valve by means of a constantly circulating flow of oil, a lubricating pad 35 is pressed against the wall of the valve, this pad has two end limbs 36 having oil ducts 31 which emerge from the raised portion 38 bearing in the annular grooves 39 in the cylindrical valve. The lubricating pad 35 has a U-shaped passage 39a Thegroove 2 4 is placed in communication which communicates with the flow and return pipes 40 and 4| which communicate with ducts 42, 42a in a bridge piece 43 fixed to the cylinder head. The pipes 40 and 4| spring support the lubricating pad 35 and such pad 35 is pressed on the valve 2 by means of a member 44 pressed outwardly by means of a spring 45, the pressure of which may be adjustable to govern'the film of oil supplied through the ducts 38. The duct 42 is in communication by means of the passage 46 with the oil supply entering the valve 25,"

whilst the duct 42a returns the oil to the source of supply. The lubricating pads have inclined projections 41 which scrape the oil passed through the ducts 38 inwardly of the rotary valve,

the rotary valve rotating in the direction from the scrapers 41 to the ducts 38.

from the surface of the rotary valve and direct the same towards the centre of the valve. These grooves 48 are shaped to scrape the oil into the grooves. The oil therefore is caused to flow towards the centre of the rotary valve and the sealing element l5 forms a scraper and causes the oil to flow away through the ducts 49 into the annular groove 50 which is in communication with the duct 5| for returning the oil to the source of supply. The continuous flow of oil therefore lubricates the bearing surface of the rotary valve, whereby oil is prevented from burning and carbonizing. Annular grooves are formed in the cylinder head on each side of the valve and these annular grooves are in communication withthe groove 50 so that any oil which iiowsoutwardly on the rotary valve will also be returned to the source of supply.

The outer end of the rotary valve on the inlet side is sealed by means of a rubber ring 52 which is pressed between the washer and a casing 53 by means of a spring ring 54.

We claim:

1. A rotary valve mechanism comprising a cylinder head, a rotary cylindrical valve mounted in the cylinder head, a bearing ring or member on one'side of the valve and fitted in an annular recess in the cylinder head, an annular oil duct surrounding the periphery of the bearing member, two annular ducts around the internal periphery of the bearing member, and ducts in the wall of the valve for registering with ducts leading to the respective annular ducts or the interior of the bearing member for the feed and return flow of oil to an interior chamber in the valve for cooling the valve.

2. A rotary valve mechanism comprising a cylinder head, a rotary cylindrical valve mounted in the cylinder head, a bearing ring or member on one side of the valve and fitted in an annular recess in the cylinder head, an annular oil duct surrounding the periphery of the bearing member, two annular ducts around the internal periphery of the bearing member, and ducts in the wall of the valve for registering with ducts leading to the respective annular ducts or the interior of the bearing member for the feed and return flow of oil to an interior chamber in the valve for cooling the valve, which cooling cham- The bearing surface of the cylinder head is provided with inclined oil channels 48 which collect the oil ber is behind that portion of the valve which closes the combustion chamber during the firing stroke.

3. A rotary valve mechanism for internal combustion engines, comprising a cylinder head, a cylindrical rotary valve mounted in the head, and means for feeding oil to the bearing surface of the valve wall comprising an oiling-pad pressed against the wall of said cylindrical valve and having an oil duct or ducts fed from a continuous circulating stream of oil which oil duct or ducts open directly on the wall of the valve, and scraper devices and oil channels for directing the oil from the feed ducts over the surface of the rotary valve to outlet ducts leading the oil back to the source of supply.

4. A rotary valve mechanism for internal combustion engines, comprising a bore in the cylinder head, a cylindrical rotary valve mounted in the bore, an oiling pad, a spring device for pressing the oiling pad against the wall of the rotary valve, and means for feeding oil to the bearing surface of the valve wall, said oiling pad having an oil duct fed from a continuous circulating stream of oil which oil duct opens directly on the outer surface of the valve, and a scraper device and oil channels for directing the oil from the feed duct over the surface of the rotary valve to outlet ducts leading the oil back to the source of supply. a

5. A rotary valve mechanism for internal combustion engines, comprising a bore in the cylinder head, a cylindrical rotary valve mounted in the bore, an oiling pad, a spring device for pressing the oiling pad against the wall of the rotary valve, and means for feeding oil to the bearing surface of the valve wall, said oiling pad having an oil duct fed from a continuous circulating stream of oil which oil duct opens directly on the outer surface of the valve, a scraper device on the oiling pad for diverting the oil centrally of the valve and oil channels in the bore of the cylinder head for causing the oil to flow towards the centre of the valve.

6. A rotary valve mechanism for internal combustion engines, comprising a bore in the cylinder head, a cylindrical rotary valve mounted in the bore, an oiling pad, a spring device for pressing the oiling pad against the wall of the rotary valve, and means for feeding oil to the bearing suran oil duct fed from a continuous circulating stream of oil which oil duct opens directly on the outer surface of the valve, a scraper device on the oiling pad for diverting the oil centrally of the valve, and oil channels in the bore of the cylinder head for causing the oil to flow towards the centre of the valve, a sealing element bearing against the wall of the rotary valve having ducts at the side for leading oil from the wall of the cylinder to return such oil to the source of supply, and a sealing ring forming a gas tight seal with a sealing in the port leading from the combustion chamber and a gas tight seal with the said sealing element.

' JOHN BROWN.

EDWARD BROWN.

face of the valve wall, said oiling pad having; 

